The B&B Hotels team collapsed, leaving players and staff without jobs for 2023.

Mark Cavendish, who was expected to be the new team leader, and the other 20 players signed and under contract for the new season will either have to find a new team or face retirement.

Team manager Jerome Pineau finally admitted during a two-hour conference call Wednesday morning that he could not run the team due to a lack of sponsors.

"We tried our best to save the club, but unfortunately we were not successful," he wrote in a message sent to the team's Whatsapp group late Tuesday night, announcing the final video call. [Audrey Cordon-Lagotto, Australian sprinter Chloe Hosking, and Olympic champion Anna Kiesenhofer will be without a team for 2023.

This summer, Pinault laid out grand plans for the team he created in 2018, and the city of Paris was expected to support a project that would not only expand the second-division men's team but also create a women's team and a development team.

However, the Paris Agreement was quickly watered down and ruled out altogether. Meanwhile, discussions with various companies proved fruitless, and Pinot frantically scrambled to find sponsors until the end of November.

Pinot wanted to keep the men's team alive at the continental level, but sponsors were apparently no longer interested, as the team would not be invited to the Tour de France as a wildcard. The French Federation was also unlikely to grant the team a license for 2023, leaving Pinot with nowhere to go.

Cycling News learned that Pinault had sent a message to the riders the night before and confirmed the news of the team's disappearance in a conference call early Wednesday morning.

"Seb and I did our best to save the club, but unfortunately we were not successful," Pinault wrote Tuesday, referring to his brother Sebastian, who is also involved in team management.

"We have not given up, but miracles will not happen. We are now desperately seeking to save what we can and find a preliminary solution for each and every one of you."

The collapse of the men's team left 20 players without employment for the coming year; most of those on the 2022 roster were under contract through 2023, when they were suddenly pulled off their feet.

In addition, five players who had agreed to join from other teams were added: Mark Cavendish, Max Riches, Nick Schultz, Cece Bol, and Stephen Williams. There were also players who agreed to join the women's team, whose roster was not disclosed, but included Ragot, Hosking, and Kiesenhofer.

While some of the big names would still find a team, others would face great uncertainty.

Victor Koretzky has already found a new home in Bora Hansgrohe, and Ramon Sinkeldam (a potential new signing) has already signed with Alpecin Deceuninck. However, the players, who are under contract in 2023, will have waited patiently, trusting that Pinault will have the money to keep the team alive and keep their contracts.

Now that the 2023 budgets for all WorldTour and pro teams have been approved, and most have already reached the UCI's cap on rider registrations, B&B riders are scrambling to protect their careers, unable to barter for the best terms.

Pierre Rolland is the most high-profile rider on the team, a two-time Tour de France stage winner who joined the team for its second year in 2019. The Frenchman, who recently turned 36, extended his contract by a year in the summer.

French media reported that Laurent is looking to return to the Total Energy team, where he was a member from 2009 to 2015 and spent his best years, including top 10 finishes at the Tour and Giro d'Italia. However, Laurent wrote on social media Wednesday: "I am surprised to learn of my future in the press. I will let you know what my future will be on social media."

21-year-old Frenchman Axel Laurens has had an excellent debut season as a professional, attracting interest from Sourdal Quickstep, Ineos Grenadier, and AG2R Citroen.

Similarly, Luca Mozzato and Frank Bonamur appear to be in strong positions. Mozzato, a highly regarded young Italian sprinter, was rumored to have signed with Trek Segafredo, but may move to Arkea Samsic.

Thirteen of the 20 riders are French, with three Belgian riders, Jens Debouchard, Jordi Wallop, and Elliot Lietaert, along with Mozzato, Canadian Raphael Parisera, German Miguel Heidemann, and Austrian Sebastian Schonberger.

Cavendish is clearly the most high-profile player, but not the easiest signing given his expected salary and the need for a lead-out.

Max Richeze was drafted by B&B to fill that role, but regrettably retired last year. Boll, Schultz, and Williams are hoping to get one last slot on a World Tour team.

As for the women's team, Lagotto was eager to join a new team for the last two years of her career before the 2024 Olympics in her native France. However, she will need to find a last-minute option for next year as she returns from a stroke in the summer.

Hosking, like Cordon Ragot, had agreed to spend the year with Trek Segafredo and join B&B Hotels. The Australian sprinter has already started looking for a team on social networking sites, as Trek Segafredo has already replaced two of his teammates and filled the roster.

"I am one of the riders affected by the saga of the collapse of the B&B Hotels team," Hosking wrote. "It's like being swallowed by a creek without a paddle, and I'm looking for opportunities for 2023."

Olympic champion Kiesenhofer was rumored to be moving on, meaning a return to full-time cycling after several years of dedicating her full-time career to academics. However, it remains to be seen how eager she is or was to return to full-time racing.